Toilet bowl ball cock assembly



July 9, 1963 J. E. DALE TOILET BOWL BALL cocx ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 17, 1962 JAN E5 E.DALE

1N VENTOR.

July 9, 1963 J. E. DALE TOILET BOWL BALL cocx ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 17, 1962 JAMES E.DALE

IN VENTOR.

United States Patent 3,096,783 TOHET BQWL BALL CQQK AgSEMiiLY James E. Dale, 4074 Estreli'a Ava, Fran Diego 5, Calif. Filed Apr. 17, 1962, Ser. No. 183,199 2 Claims. (Cl. 137-434) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in flush tank valve assemblies and more particularly to a toilet bowl ball cock assembly having a minimum of parts, and also efficient, leakproof and noiseless when in operation.

Heretofore such valve assemblies have been of the type wherein the valve and the water inlet were positioned at the top, thus creating a condition so that when the water inlet valve should have developed a leak, then the water would splash over the inside of the tank and sometimes spilling to the outside thereof which would cause an inconvenience, also, the action of refilling the tank was noisy. With the present invention there is no possibility of a leak to develop since the water inlet valve is at the bottom of the valve assembly and always under water and therefore it is noiseless and efficient in operation.

Therefore the object of the present invention is to provide a flush tank assembly having a minimum of parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a flush tank valve assembly which is leakproof.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a flush tank valve assembly that is silent in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flush tank assembly which is self lubricating under water.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a flush tank valve assembly that will prevent the water level from reaching the top of the tank thus preventing spilling thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a flush tank valve assembly of such construction so that the parts thereof may be easily molded out of plastic or other suitable material.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flush tank valve assembly wherein only one and inexpensive plastic sleeve or bushing need be replaced.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a flush tank valve assembly that is inexpensive to manufacture.

These and other novel features of the invention will appear more fully in the following detailed description and drawings, with the understanding however, that the drawings are employed for the purpose of illustration only.

Reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters refer to same parts.

In the drawings;

FIGURE 1 shows a fragmentary side elevational View of a complete valve assembly when mounted in operative position in a water flush tank, showing a valve in closed position, the lower part thereof being shown in cross section and disclosing a mounted position thereof when attached to the bottom of a water flush tank.

FIGURE 2 shows a fragmentary and top plan view of said valve assembly, showing same from the top of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary and a vertically sectional view of the valve assembly, taken on lines 3--3 of FIG- URE 2 and showing the valve in an open position.

FIGURE 4 shows a fragmentary "and an enlarged vertically sectional view of the lower part of the valve, showing said valve in an open position and taken in same sectional position as illustrated in FIGURE 3.

Describing said invention in detail, with particular reference made to FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a vertically extending 3,096,783 Patented July 9, 1963 toilet tank water inlet pipe 3, which is shown in its mounted position and having a valve casing 3* connecting a detachable and exernally threaded lower end extension member '10 projecting downwardly through the base plate 13 of a suitable toilet water tank.

An inverted cone shaped washer 11 is secured below a collar 10 of said extension member 10 which is being seated in an annular and internally beveled aperture 17 disposed in said tank base plate '13 and which is held in position by means of a lock nut 14 having a flange 18, said lock nut is threaded onto aforesaid lower end extension member 10 to draw said inlet pipe 3 into clamped relation to said base plate of the toilet water tank.

Said valve casing 3 consisting of said lower end extension member 10 is hollow throughout its length and open to the Water supply line, and above said collar 10 having a nipple 10 of which the upper portion 19 is externally threaded {for attachment to said inlet Water pipe 3.

A counter bore or recess 10 is provided in said upper portion 19 of said nipple 19, having a close fitting sleeve or bushing 12 which is made out of polyethylene, Teflon or other suitable plastic material.

The aforesaid inlet water pipe 3 is provided with a hexagon portion 9 which is formed on the body thereof whereby a wrench may be applied thereon to facilitate tightening of said inlet water pipe 3 and said lower end extension member 10, including said lock nut 14.

Said inlet water pipe 3 at its lower end having one or more holes 16 directed through the body thereof and is positioned slightly adjacent to and above the top edge of the aforesaid externally threaded upper portion 19 of said lower end extension member Iii.

As shown, said water pipe 3 at the lower extremity thereof is internally threaded to receive the threaded upper portion extending from said valve casing 3 of said lower end extension member it Also, said inlet water pipe 3 is provided with a float rod bracket 7, which is mounted at the upper extremity thereof, said bracket being adapted for pivotally mounting thereon a pivoting member 5 which is held in place by means of a pivot pin 8.

Said pivoting member 5 at one extremity thereof is provided with an internally threaded section to receive therein a threaded end portion of said float rod 6, and also having at the other extremity thereof a lifting lever formed to a circular flat shaped end 21, the purpose of which will be presently described.

Said inlet water pipe 3 is provided with smooth bore passing through the entire longitudinal body thereof which extends to and terminates at a recess or a counter bore 16* disposed in the upper end of a bore or opening provided in said upper portion 19 of said extension member 10, said recess or counter bore 1t) being below the upper rim or edge of the aforementioned upper portion 19 and adapted to receive therein said sleeve 12, so that when in position, the upper end of said sleeve 12 will lie flush with the upper rim of said nipple 10 of said portion 1?.

A pipe rod member 4 is slidably mounted within said longitudinal bore of said inlet water pipe 3, said rod member having at the upper end thereof a vertical slot 22, which is adapted for receiving therein said flat shaped end 21 of said pivoting member 5, and also, said pipe rod member 4 having the lower end portion or shank 24 reduced in diameter and adapted to fit slidably within the inner passage of said sleeve 12, the upper end of said shank forming a suitable shoulder *15, said shoulder 15 being adapted to secure a seat upon the upper rim 20' of said inserted sleeve 12 when a float 23 is in an upward and shut off position.

The lower end portion or shank 24 of said pipe rod member 4 is provided with a longitudinal passage 25 disposed centrally and leading upwardly from the bottom thereof, said passage 25 extending the length of said shank 24 for forming a wall wherein a plurality of suitable holes 26 are provided and arranged to pass through and connect said passage 25, said holes 26 being disposed in an adjacent position to said shoulder and in direct line with holes or passages 16 which are disposed in said inlet water pipe 3, for allowing the flow of water therethrough when said float 23 is in its downward position, thus forming a sliding valve assembly above the base plate 13 of the water flush tank.

In the operation of the device, on emptying the toilet bowl flushing tank, said float 23 will drop to its lowest position which causes the float rod 6 and the lever having said fiat shaped end 21 that engages said slot 22 to raise the lower end of said pipe rod member 4 to its high point in said inlet water pipe 3, thereby bringing the hole 26 of said rod 4 into relation with hole 16 of said water inlet pipe 3, for allowing free flow of water from service supply into the flush tank.

As the water level in said flush tank raises and carries the float 23 upwardly therewith, said pipe rod member 4 will move downward until the hole 26 is removed from its relationship with said hole 16 and is closed by means of the walls of said inserted sleeve or bushing 12, thus closing off the water supply from the service pipe of the tank (not shown).

The surface area subject to pressure of water at the bottom of pipe rod member 4 being very small, therefore there can be no possibility of any adverse etfects from this cause.

While this invention is described herein in a particular embodiment, it will be clear that numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, therefore it is not desined to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly suitable modifications may be resorted 'to that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus completely and fully described the invention, what is now claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a toilet flush tank device of the class described comprising a vertically extending thick walled water inlet pipe attached to a base plate at the insideof a toilet Water tank and having water supply under normal pressure attached thereto, said inlet pipe having a longitudinal bore throughout its length and internal threads at the lower extremity thereof, one or more holes horizontally disposed through the wall of said inlet pipe adjacent to the aforesaid internal threads, a valve casing adapted for attachment to said base plate of toilet water tank and to water supply, said valve casing having a nipple provided with an internally threaded portion at the upper extremity thereof for attachment to the lower extremity of the aforesaid water inlet pipe, a recess in said nipple, a bushing of plastic material inserted in said recess of said nipple in said valve casing and lying flush at the rim of the upper extremity thereof, the internal diameter of said bushing being smaller than that of the internal diameter of the aforesaid water inlet pipe, said bushing presenting an upward face and an internal angular ledge secured by said bushing rim and when water inlet pipe is attached to said valve casing, a longitudinal bore of greater diameter at the lower extremity in said valve casing and terminating slightly below said recess, said valve casing having a collar adjacent to said nipple at the upper threaded portion thereof and having external threads extending from the lower extremity thereof to the underside of the aforesaid collar, a lock nut having internal threads for attachment onto said lower end extension member of the aforesaid valve casing, a downwardly inverted beveled washer of resilient material fitted into and disposed over said lower end extension member at the threaded portion of said valve casing and below the aforesaid collar to effect a seal when said lock nut is in position, a longitudinal rod of plastic material having a diameter to fit smoothly within said longitudinal bore of the aforesaid inlet pipe, a rod shank end at a portion of the lower extremity of said longitudinal rod having a reduced diameter to fit closely within said internal diameter of the aforesaid plastic bushing and when said rod is placed in said longitudinal bore of the aforesaid water inlet pipe, a slot passing through said rod, said slot being disposed at the op posite extremity of the aforesaid extremity having said reduced diameter, an operable means at the upper extremity of said water inlet pipe whereby said longitudinal rod may be raised or lowered within said longitudinal bore of the aforesaid water inlet pipe, said means comprising Ia pivoting member having a ball float at one extremity and a lifting lever at the opposite extremity thereof and having a flat shaped end arranged to fit within the aforesaid slot in the upper end of the aforesaid rod, a pivot in said operable means attached to said upper extremity of the aforesaid inlet water pipe for holding said pivoting member in position, one or more transversely disposed holes at the lower extremity wall of said water inlet pipe, said holes being superadjacent to the aforesaid internal threads and above said nipple of said valve casing, a longitudinal passage at the lower extremity of said rod extending concentrically for the length of said shank and for securing a thin wall therein, a horizontally disposed hole in said thin wall, said hole being adjacent to said downwlardly disposed annular ledge of said shoulder and also being disposed in line and approximately of the same diameter as the aforementioned hole in said water inlet pipe, for securing water flow when said float is in its downwardly floating position and said rod member is held in its uppermost place.

2. In a device of the class described according to claim 1 wherein the raising of a ball float in a toilet flush tank lowers said longitudinal rod within said water inlet pipe, thereby closing the flow of water from the water supply line passing through said passage and through said connecting holes in said wall of said rod including said holes in said water inlet pipe, and for sealing said flow of water by engaging said shoulder with said rim of said plastic bushing and thereby operating said device silently and effectively shutting off the water flow and preventing the spilling of said water supply when in use.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 547,968 Scott Oct. 15, 1895 613,041 K amerer Oct. 25, 1898 2,164,927 Kohler July 4, 1939 2,747,834 Meusy May 29, 1956 2,802,480 Atwater Aug. 13, 1957 2,995,144 Manning Aug. 8, 1961 

1. IN A TOILET FLUSH TANK DEVICE OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED COMPRISING A VERTICALLY EXTENDING THICK WALLED WATER INLET PIPE ATTACHED TO A BASE PLATE AT THE INSIDE OF A TOILET WATER TANK AND HAVING WATER SUPPLY UNDER NORMAL PRESSURE ATTACHED THERETO, SAID INLET PIPE HAVING A LONGITUDINAL BORE THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH AND INTERNAL THREADS AT THE LOWER EXTREMITY THEREOF, ONE OR MORE HOLES HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED THROUGH THE WALL OF SAID INLET PIPE ADJACENT TO THE AFORESAID INTERNAL THREADS, A VALVE CASING ADAPTED FOR ATTACHMENT TO SAID BASE PLATE OF TOILET WATER TANK AND TO WATER SUPPLY, SAID VALVE CASING HAVING A NIPPLE PROVIDED WITH AN INTERNALLY THREADED PORTION AT THE UPPER EXTREMITY THEREOF FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE LOWER EXTREMITY OF THE AFORESAID WATER INLET PIPE, A RECESS IN SAID NIPPLE, A BUSHING OF PLASTIC MATERIAL INSERTED IN SAID RECESS OF SAID NIPPLE IN SAID VALVE CASING AND LYING FLUSH AT THE RIM OF THE UPPER EXTREMITY THEREOF, THE INTERNAL DIAMETER OF SAID BUSHING BEING SMALLER THAN THAT OF THE INTERNAL DIAMETER OF THE AFORESAID WATER INLET PIPE, SAID BUSHING PRESENTING AN UPWARD FACE AND AN INTERNAL ANGULAR LEDGE SECURED BY SAID BUSHING RIM AND WHEN WATER INLET PIPE IS ATTACHED TO SAID VALVE CASING, A LONGITUDINAL BORE OF GREATER DIAMETER AT THE LOWER EXTREMITY IN SAID VALVE CASING AND TERMINATING SLIGHTLY BELOW SAID RECESS, SAID VALVE CASING HAVING A COLLAR ADJACENT TO SAID NIPPLE AT THE UPPER THREADED PORTION THEREOF AND HAVING EXTERNAL THREADS EXTTENDING FROM THE LOWER EXTREMITY THEREOF TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE AFORESAID COLLAR, A LOCK NUT HAVING INTERNAL THREADS FOR ATTACHMENT ONTO SAID LOWER END EXTENSION MEMBER OF THE AFORESAID VALVE CASING, A DOWNWARDLY INVERTED BEVELED WASHER OF RESILIENT MATERIAL FITTED INTO AND DISPOSED OVER SAID LOWER END EXTENSION MEMBER AT THE THREADED PORTION OF SAID VALVE CASING AND BELOW THE AFORESAID COLLAR TO EFFECT A SEAL WHEN SAID LOCK NUT IS IN POSITION, A LONGITUDINAL ROD OF PLASTIC MATERIAL HAVING A DIAMETER TO FIT SMOOTHLY WITHIN SAID LONGITUDINAL BORE OF THE AFORESAID INLET PIPE, A ROD SHANK END AT A PORTION OF THE LOWER EXTREMITY OF SAID LONGITUDINAL ROD HAVING A REDUCED DIAMETER TO FIT CLOSELY WITHIN SAID INTERNAL DIAMETER OF THE AFORESAID PLASTIC BUSHING AND WHEN SAID ROD IS PLACED IN SAID LONGITUDINAL BORE OF THE AFORESAID WATER INLET PIPE, A SLOT PASSING THROUGH SAID ROD, SAID SLOT BEING DISPOSED AT THE OPPOSITE EXTREMITY OF THE AFORESAID EXTREMITY HAVING SAID REDUCED DIAMETER, AN OPERABLE MEANS AT THE UPPER EXTREMITY OF SAID WATER INLET PIPE WHEREBY SAID LONGITUDINAL ROD MAY BE RAISED OR LOWERD WITHIN SAID LONGITUDINAL BORE OF THE AFORESAID WATER INLET PIPE, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A PIVOTING MEMBER HAVING A BALL FLOAT AT ONE EXTREMITY AND A LIFTING LEVER AT THE OPPOSITE EXTREMITY THEREOF AND HAVING A FLAT SHAPED END ARRANGED TO FIT WITHIN THE AFORESAID SLOT IN THE UPPER END OF THE AFORESAID ROD, A PIVOT IN SAID OPERABLE MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID UPPER EXTREMITY OF THE AFORESAID INLET WATER PIPE FOR HOLDING SAID PIVOTING MEMBER IN POSITION, ONE OR MORE TRANSVERSELY DISPOSED HOLES AT THE LOWER EXTREMITY WALL OF SAID WATER INLET PIPE, SAID HOLES BEING SUPERADJACENT TO THE AFORESAID INTERNAL THREADS AND ABOVE SAID NIPPLE OF SAID VALVE CASING, A LONGITUDINAL PASSAGE AT THE LOWER EXTREMITY OF SAID ROD EXTENDING CONCENTRICALLY FOR THE LENGTH OF SAID SHANK AND FOR SECURING A THIN WALL THEREIN, HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED HOLE IN SAID THIN WALL, SAID HOLE BEING ADJACENT TO SAID DOWNWARDLY DISPOSED ANNULAR LEDGE OF SAID SHOULDER AND ALSO BEING DISPOSED IN LINE AND APPROXIMATELY OF THE SAME DIAMETER AS THE AFOREMENTIONED HOLE IN SAID WATER INLET PIPE, FOR SECURING WATER FLOW WHEN SAID FLOAT IS IN ITS DOWNWARDLY FLOATING POSITION AND SAID ROD MEMBER IN HELD IN ITS UPPERMOST PLACE. 